Contains no wheat or wheat gluten, no palm olein oil, no Martek DHA & ARA, no corn ingredients such as corn syrup, no sucrose, and no peanut.

Carbohydrates

Brand

Carbohydrate Source

Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA

100% Organic Lactose

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an important part of a healthy body because it is used to form cell membranes, some hormones and is needed for other body functions. The main concern with intake of cholesterol is that a high level of cholesterol in the blood — hypercholesterolemia — is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks.

However, breast milk contains good amounts of cholesterol. 1 There is some scientific thinking that cholesterol in breast milk may be nature's way of helping a baby's body learn to deal with cholesterol intake later in life and may have a protective cardiovascular effect. Research is being done in the area of cholesterol intake during early childhood and potential health benefits later in life. This research is also investigating whether cholesterol should be added to standard formulas.

Baby's Only Organic® Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula contains 2 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 Calories (a 5 ounce serving). The cholesterol comes from the egg yolk phospholipid used as the source of DHA and ARA. The total cholesterol content of the diet will depend on what other foods babies consume as part of their daily diet once complementary foods are added to the daily meal plan. For comparison purposes, one large chicken egg contains approximately 215 milligrams of cholesterol.

Not all sources of DHA and ARA are biologically equivalent nor tolerated, absorbed and assimilated by a child’s body equally. The human body metabolizes or uses phospholipids differently from triglycerides. Because triglycerides such as those in single cell organism oils (branded as life'sDHA™) are not soluble in water, they must be broken down and held in suspension – a process called emulsification – and require bile acids for digestion before they can be absorbed in the intestinal tract and then used by the body.

Because of their chemical structure, phospholipids have both hydrophilic (water soluble) and lipophilic (fat soluble) properties and are not reliant on bile acids for digestion. They form smaller droplets in the intestinal tract and are more easily absorbed in the intestinal tract and offer greater bioavailability. 113

The use of egg phospholipids in formula has been widely studied. 2 - 13 A few highlights of these studies have shown the following:

In a study with premature babies, DHA from egg phospholipid was better absorbed than DHA from single cell organism triglyceride oil. 7

Children fed a formula with egg phospholipid had a lower incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (death of intestinal tissue). 6

Nature's One selected an egg phospholipid source of DHA and ARA for Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula for its superior and documented benefits compared to life'sDHA™, which is being used today in all other formulas sold in the United States.

Allergies to certain foods are caused by the body's reaction to the protein component of a food. The DHA and ARA in Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula are sourced from egg yolk phospholipids, the fat component of the egg yolk. As an extra precaution, this product is tested egg allergen free by a third party laboratory. Most often an egg allergy is caused by the egg white, the major protein portion of an egg, rather than the yolk. Due to the fact that only the fat or phospholipids (not protein) portion of the egg yolk is used and also because of the high quality and purity of the egg lecithin used, this product is free of egg allergen. If a child has a history of food allergies, consultation with the child's healthcare provider is always recommended before use of any new food including Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula.

Egg Lecithin

Lecithin was first discovered in egg yolk in 1846 by the French scientist Maurice Gobley. He named it "lekithos" which is Greek for "egg yolk". 1 Lecithin is a phospholipid and a major component of human cell membranes. It is not an essential nutrient because the body can make lecithin as well as absorb it from the foods we eat. In food manufacturing, lecithin is used as an emulsifier, an ingredient that helps to blend other ingredients in a mixture and prevents them, especially fats and oils, from separating out of a mixture. An example of an emulsifier is egg yolk used in mayonnaise where the egg yolk stabilizes the other ingredients to prevent separation.

Since the 1930's, soy oil has become the major and less expensive source of lecithin used in food manufacturing. However, lecithin from egg yolk and lecithin from soy oil are different in chemical structure. Although both are phospholipids, egg yolk lecithin contains DHA and ARA whereas soy oil lecithin does not. Use of egg lecithin in Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula offers the advantage of a safe and natural source of DHA and ARA plus the added bonus of being an emulsifier to ensure good fat dispersion throughout the powdered formula.

Triglycerides

A triglyceride, also known as a triacylglycerol, is a type of fat and consists of one glycerol molecule to which 3 fatty acids are attached. Triglycerides are found in animal fats and plant oils and are not soluble in water. Triglycerides are digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Because they are not soluble in water, bile salts are required for their digestion.

The DHA and ARA that comes from single cell organism oils derived from algae and fungus are fatty acids on the triglyceride molecule. These are the ingredient sources of DHA and ARA used to supplement all formulas, except for Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula. Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula contains DHA and ARA derived from phospholipids instead of triglycerides.

Phospholipids

Phospholipids have a structure like triglycerides but contain a phosphate group in place of the third fatty acid. Phospholipids are found in foods; good sources include egg yolks and soybeans. Because of the phosphate group, a phospholipid is capable of dissolving in water molecules and is therefore soluble in water. Unlike triglycerides, bile acids are not required for their digestion and absorption in the small intestine. Phospholipids are important structural components of human cell membranes. Phospholipids are to human cells what cellulose and lignin are to plants. They help to form the structure of the cell. All human cells contain a double layer of phospholipids. Also, when molecules such as proteins move across the cell membrane, phospholipids help their entrance. Therefore, phospholipids affect cell membrane flexibility, transfer of nutrients across the cell membrane, and how cells communicate with each other.

The DHA and ARA used in Baby's Only Organic® is generally regarded as safe (GRAS). This source of DHA and ARA are derived from egg yolk, and are considered GRAS. The hens are fed a vegetarian, non-GMO diet that is chemical-free and antibiotic-free.

Kosher

Brand

Kosher Status

Baby's Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA & ARA

Kosher

Baby's Only Organic® Toddler dairy-based formulas are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union. The kosher symbol, (circle U) D, is located on the front portion of the label. A current Kosher Certificate is available upon request.

Martek life'sDHA™

In 2001, US formula manufacturers began adding a novel source of DHA and ARA that was manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation (now owned by the Dutch company called DSM) and branded as life’s DHA™. The DHA and ARA are derived from algae and fungus and treated with hexane solvent, acid and bleach. The following is the manufacturing process described by Martek: “The oil is then separated from the dried biomass by hexane extraction and centrifugation and/or filtration, followed by winterization. The hexane phase undergoes additional centrifugation/filtration to remove solids then the winterized oil is heated and treated with acid. Subsequently, the oil is treated with caustic, centrifuged, bleached and deodorized.”1

In addition to the harsh toxic chemicals such as hexane that are used to extract and process the life’sDHA™ oils, several organic advocacy groups believe the processing involves genetically modified organisms (GMOs) based on their review of Martek’s patents.2, 3 GMO refers to an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering. Despite using harsh toxic chemicals and GMOs, life’sDHA™ continues to be used in organic formula and baby food.

Nature’s One® has never added life’sDHA™ to any of its formulas. Because of the harsh toxic chemicals that are used to extract and process the life’sDHA™ oils and the possible use of GMOs, Nature’s One believes these ingredients have no place in any organic products, especially one designed for babies and young children. The non-profit organization, The Cornucopia Institute, has reviewed in detail the controversy surrounding algal and fungal sources of DHA and ARA along with reports of some adverse effects on babies when fed formulas containing life’sDHA™. The entire Cornucopia Institute’s report can be found at Cornucopia.org.

Baby’s Only Organic® Whey Protein Dairy with DHA Formula source of DHA and ARA is derived from egg yolk phospholipids, a safe and natural source of these fatty acids. Nature’s One has chosen to use egg phospholipids over life’sDHA™ algal oils because it is not a hexane processed triglyceride and does not involve genetic modification.